AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLDUP EFFECT OF DOUBLE CONTAINMENT ON REACTOR HAZARDS

A dual reactor-containment system would be expected to effect a time-delay in the release of airborne materials to the environment. An investigation was made of the influence of this time-delay on reactor hazards. The containment model used in the investigation was made up of three series-connected enclosures consisting of the reactor core and two concentric containment vessels. General equations were obtained for the time-dependent rate of release of airborne materials from a double containment system. A graphical solution for the rate of release was given for the practical case of step release of fission products from the reactor core. Using the release-rate equations that were developed, an investigation was made of the effect of double-containment holdup on the dose arising from airborne radioactive materials. The effect on dose was expressed as the ratio of the double-container dose, D(t), to the single-container dose, D sub 1 (t). It was found that this dose ratio could, for a given radioisotope be described by simple expressions for two limiting periods of time after an accident.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Thesis submitted to University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
• Corporate Authors:

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  Department of Energy
  Oak Ridge, TN  United States  37831
• Authors:
  • Anderson, T D
• Publication Date: 1964-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 76 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction; Design; Nuclear power plants; Nuclear reactors; Radiation shielding; Safety
• Old TRIS Terms: Nuclear reactor construction; Nuclear reactor design
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00026779
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: W-7405-eng-26
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 4 1973 12:00AM